Convertible printing press



Feb. 2s, 1939. c; A. M'EISEL K CONVERTIBLE PRINTING PRESS Filed July 2, 1937 Patented Feb. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVERTIBLE PRINTING PRESS Application July 2, 1937, Serial No. 151,675

9 Claims.

This invention relates to printing presses, and the object is to provide a press which by simple adjustments may be adapted for printing either on sheets or on a web.

My invention will be well understood by reference to the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing, wherein:-

Fig. 1 is a diagram of the press as arranged for printing sheets; and

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing it arranged as a web printing press.

By way of example I have here shown my lnvention as applied to an oifset press of the multicouple rotary type. I shall rst describe the press as adjusted for printing on sheets and refer to Fig. 1. The mechanism as a Whole is `herein mounted on the longitudinal bearing stringers 4 on which are erected the main frames 6. At intervals along the upper portion of this main frame are provided bearings to receive impression cylinders 8, and herein these bearings are shown as small frames or pillow blocks IIJ erected on the main frame 6, conveniently in a manner to permit them to be readily removed for purposes which will hereinafter appear. I herein show uprights I2 adjacent each of the impression cylinders on which are mounted for vertical movement (as indicated by the doublepointed arrow in Fig. 1) sub-frames I4 carrying cooperating elements of the printing couple including the printing cylinder I6 between which and the impression cylinder 8 the paper passes. Since the press shown is of the offset type, this cylinder I6 is in the present instance a blanket cylinder with which cooperates the plate cylinder I8, likewise carried by the sub-frame I4, as is the inking mechanism 20. In the operative position shown in Fig. 1 the sub-frames preferably rest directly upon the frames I0 accurately positioning the cylinders 8 and I6 in cooperative relation. When the sub-frame is raised by suitable means not shown, the elements of the couple are separated and the impression cylinder exposed for manipulation or removal.

At least when the press is operating to print on sheets, the impression cylinder 6 carries suitable grippers ZI to engage the sheet and the sheet is transferred from the grippers of one impression cylinder to those of the other by means of suitable gripper-carrying transfer cylinders 22, which are mounted between the main frames and in the position of Fig. 1 are tangent to the impression cylinders 8 at either side thereof. so that the sheet may be transferred from one set of grippers to another. Thus the sheet after its iirst printing may be released by grippers 2| on cylinder 8 at about 4 oclock position to be taken by grippers 24 on transfer cylinder 22 to be carried counterclockwise with the latter to aboutV 5 its 2 oclock position to be there delivered to the grippers 2| of the succeeding impression cylinder. At the left of the main frames 6, viewing Fig. 1, and preferably spaced therefrom are frames 28 which provide a support for the mill `1o roll 30 and'which carry the horizontally slidable sub-frame 32 supporting sheet-feeding mechanism, which when in the projected position of Fig. 1 is adapted to seversheets from the web led y from the mill roll and deliver them to the left-, 15 hand impression cylinder 8. This mechanism may take varying forms and is herein illustrated as embodying an adjustable cutting cylinder 34 which severs the web led thereto into sheets of suitable length which are carried by tapes 36 to l20 the first of two gripper-carrying transfer cylinders 38. The first or left-hand of these cylinders carries the sheet downwardly from about the 12 oclock position to about the 3 oclock position where it is delivered to the right-hand `25 transfer cylinder 38 which carries the head of the sheet from its 9 oclock position counterclockwise to about its 3 oclock position Where it is delivered to the first of the impression cylinders 8.

On the bearing stringers 4 at the right-hand end of the machine is the sub-frame 40' longitudinally movable therealong and which carries a chain delivery device 42 mounted on the sprockets 44. In its inner position shown in Fig. 1 the 35 grippers of the chain are adapted to receive the sheets from the last of the impression cylinders 8 and deliver them to a delivery table 46 carried by the frame 40.

I have described the arrangement of the parts 40 when the press is utilized to print on sheets. Fig. 2 shows the arrangement when printing on a web. The transfer cylinders 22 are here shown as journalled in vertically movable boxes 48 and thus may be dropped tothe position of Fig. 2 45 to separate them from the impression cylinders. The sub-frame 32 may be racked back on the frame 28 to the position of Fig. 2 separating the sheet-feeding mechanism from the rst of the impression cylinders and likewiseV the frame 40 50 may be racked out to the right separating the sheet delivery mechanism from the last impression cylinder of the series. The web from the mill roll A may be led over a guide roll 50 and thence serially beneath the several printing cyl- 55 inders I6 to a rewind roll 52 for which a mounting 54 is provided at the right-hand end of the frames 6.

If the margins between the successive impressions on the web was sufliciently large to accommodate the spaces on the impression cylinders occupied by the gripper mechanisms, no further change would be necessary. Commercially, however, this would seldom, if ever, be the case and therefore provision must be made for providing a longer effective circumferential length of impression surface. This may be most easily effected by removing the gripper-carrying impression cylinder 8 bodily and substituting a plain impression cylinder therefor. I have indicated this by marking the impression cylinders 8a in Fig. 2. Conveniently the cylinder 8 together with the pillow blocks I!) which support it, its shaft and any gears secured thereto, may be removed as a unit and a similar unit substituted therefor differing therefrom merely inthe absence of grippers and `such mechanism ras is utilized for operating the same.

The various cylinders ordinarily will be driven by means of gears on their shafts, the pitch lines of which correspond to the surfaces thereof, as is common in the printing press-art and as will be well understood. In thediagrams I have not attempted to distinguish between cylinders as such and the gears attached thereto as it would merely complicate the Vdrawing Without being correspondingly useful. V`The impression cylinders carry gears with which-may mesh driving gears 56 driven through bevels 58 from a shaft 6D extending longitudinally along the frame 6. The gear on the impression cylinder 8 may mesh with a gearon the blanket cylinder I6 when the sub-frame I4 carrying the latteris in the operative `position shown inFig. 1 and by this connection the elements of the printing couple are driven in proper timed relation. The transfer cylinders 22 may have gears meshing with the gears on the impression cylinders 8, thus insuring the move- `ment of the gripperswhich they carry in proper timed relation to the movement of the grippers on the impression cylinders. When the transfer cylinders are dropped to the position of Fig. 2, the gears are unmeshed and the transfer cylinders remain stationary. The sheet-feeding mechanism carried by the sub-frame 32 may take motion from a driving gear on the shaft of the righthand transfer cylinder 38 which, when the parts are in the position of Fig. l and the press is operating as a sheet fed press, meshes with the gear on the shaft of the rst impression cylinder 8. When the sub-frame 32 is retracted to the position of Fig. 2, the gears are unmeshed and the driving connection broken. Similarly the shaft of the left-hand sprocket 44 of the chain delivery mechanism may carry gears meshing in the `position of Fig. 1 with the gear on the shaft of the last impression cylinder 8 and, when subframe is retracted to the Vposition ofFig. 2, the gears are unmeshed and the driving connection broken.

It will be seen from this description that I provide a press which may be shifted from a sheetfed job to a web job, or vice versa, with substantially no more labor or handling than is incident to any change of a press of generally similar type Vfrom one run to another.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from 'the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as ilustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I claim:

l. A printing press adapted for operation alternatively on sheets or webs comprising a series of couples, each comprising a printing cylinder and an impression cylinder, a sheet feeder cooperating with the i'lrst of the impression cylinders, sheet transfer means between successive impression cylinders and sheet delivery means cooperating with the final impression cylinder, said feeding transfer and delivery devices being retractible from said cylinders, and means for training a web in a path-passing serially through the lines of contact of said couples.

2. `A multi-couple press having a plurality of printing couples including interchangeable impression cylinders, one set of such cylinders hav- -ing sheet grippers and shiftable sheet-feeding,

sheet transfer and sheet delivery devices having positions wherein they cooperate with the grippers to feed sheets through' the couples and retracted positions permitting training of a web through the couples.

3. A multi-couple press having a plurality of printing couples including interchangeable impression cylinders, one set of such cylinders having sheet grippers, gearing for driving the cylinders,`shiftable sheet feeding, sheet transfer and sheet delivery devices having driving gears, said devices having posi-tions wherein their driving gears are meshed with the gearing of they couples `and wherein they cooperate with the grippers to f feed sheets through the press and a retracted position wherein the gears are out of mesh and the devices are positioned clear of the locations of the impression cylinders to permit training of a web through the couples.

4. A printing press comprising a printing cylinder, interchangeable impression cylinders for cooperation therewith, one of the impression cylinders having sheet-carrying grippers, devices having cooperating grippers adapted respectively.

to supply a sheet to and to carry a sheet away from the grppers of the impression cylinder, said devices being retractible to permit training of a web through the press.

`5. A printing press comprising a plurality of.'

printing cylinders, interchangeable mechanisms for cooperation therewith providing support for the paper as it passes the cylinders, one of said mechanisms including grippers for carrying a sheet, and devices having cooperating grippers adapted respectively to supply a sheet to and to carry a sheet away from said grippers, said devices being retractible to permit training of a web through the press.

6. A press comprising a main frame, impression cylinders supported at intervals along the length thereof in such manner as to be readily removable therefrom, cooperating printing cylinders and attendant inking mechanism therefor, at

least the cylinders being shiftable to provide aca-sheet from the terminal impression cylinders' respectively and retracted positions permitting the training of a web through the press.

'7. A press comprising a main frame, impression cylinders supported at intervals along the length thereof in such manner as to be readily removable therefrom, sub-frames supporting cooperating printing cylinders and attendant inking mechanism above the impression cylinders, the sub-frames being vertically movable to bring the printing and impression cylinders into and out from contact, a transfer cylinder mounted on the main frame between the impression cylinders of each successive pair and movable to separate them from the impression cylinders, and subframes at the ends of the press carrying respectively a sheet feeding' and a sheet delivery mechanism, the said sub-frames being shiftable between inner positions wherein they serve to supply a sheet to and to carry away a sheet from the terminal impression cylinders respectively and retracted positions permitting the training of a web through the press.

8. A press comprising a main frame having at intervals therealong bearings for supporting a series of impression cylinders, sub-frames supporting cooperating printing cylinders and attendant inking mechanism above the impression cylinders, the sub-frames being vertically movable to bring the printing and impression cylinders into and out from contact, a transfer cylinder mounted on the main frame between the impression cylinders of each successive pair and movable to separate them from the impression cylinders, and sub-frames at the endsof the press carrying respectively a sheet feeding and a sheet delivery mechanism, the said sub-frames being shiftable between inner positions wherein they serve to supply a sheet to and to carry away a sheet from the terminal impression cylinders respectively and retracted positions permitting the training of a web through the press.

9. A press comprising a main frame having at intervals therealong bearings for a series of impression cylinders, cylinders mounted in the bearings having gears thereon, cooperating printing cylinders and attendant inking mechanism therefor, at least the cylinders being shiftable to provide access to the impression cylinders, a transfer cylinder mounted in the main frame between each two successive impression cylinders and having a driving gear, the transfer cylinder being movable between a position wherein it is operatively related to said impression cylinders and wherein its gear meshes with the gears thereon and a retracted inoperative position removed from the surfaces of said cylinders and wherein its gear is out of mesh with the gears thereon, a sheet feeding mechanism at one end of the press having a driving gear and movable between an inner position wherein said gear meshes with the gear on the first impression cylinder and the mechanism delivers a sheet to the surface of the impression cylinder and a retracted position wherein the gears are out of mesh and the mechanism removed from the surface of the cylinder to provide for leading a web thereto, and a sheet delivery mechanism at the other end of the press having a driving gear and movable between a position wherein said gear meshes with the gear on the last impression cylinder and the mechanism receives a sheet at the surface of said cylinder and a retracted position wherein the gears are out of mesh and the mechanism removed from the surface of the cylinder to provide for leading a web therefrom.

CHARLES A. MEISEL. 

